THE GRASSHOPPER KIND. 



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The grasshopper, that for above twenty 

 days from its exclusion has continued with- 

 out the use of its wings, which were folded 

 up to its body, at length prepares for its 

 emancipation, and for a life of greater liberty 

 and pleasure. To make the proper disposi- 

 tions for the approaching change, it ceases 

 from its grassy food, and seeks about for a 

 convenient place, beneath some thorn or 

 thistle, that may protect it from an acciden- 

 tal shower. The same laborious writhings 

 and workings, heavings and palpitations, 

 which we have remarked in every other in- 

 sect upon an approaching change, are ex- 

 hibited in this. It swells up its head and 

 neck; it then seems to draw them in again; 

 and thus alternately, for some time, it exerts 

 its powers to get free. At length, the skin 

 covering the head and breast is seen dividing 

 above the neck ; the head is seen issuing out 

 first from the bursting skin; the efforts still 

 continuing, the other parts follow successive- 

 ly; so that the little animal, with its long 

 feelers, legs and all, works its way from the 

 old skin, that remains fixed to the ihisile or 

 the thorn. It is, indeed, inconceivable how 

 the insect can thus extricate itself from so 

 exact a sheath as that which covereth every 

 part of its body. 



The grasshopper, thus disengaged from its 

 outer skin, appears in its perfect form ; but 

 then so feeble, and its body so soft and ten- 

 der, that it may be moulded like wax. It is 

 no longer of that obscure colour which it ex- 

 hibited before, but of greenish white, which 

 becomes more vivid as the moisture on the 

 surface is dried away. Still, however, the 

 animal continues to show no signs of life, but 

 appears quite spent and fatigued with its 

 labour for more than an hour together. 

 During this time, the body is drying, and the 

 wings unfolding to their greatest expansion; 

 and the curious observer will perceive them, 

 fold after fold, opening to the sun, till at last 

 they become longer than the two hinder legs. 

 The insect's body also is lengthened during 

 this operation, and it becomes much more 

 beautiful than before. 



These insects are generally vocal in the 

 midst of summer, and they are heard at sun- 

 setting much louder than during the heats of 

 the day They are fed upon grass ; and, if 



their belly be pressed, they will be seen to 

 return the juices of the plants they have last 

 fed upon. Though unwilling to fly, and slow 

 in flight, particularly when the weather is 

 moist or cool, they are some'times seen to fly 

 to considerable distances. If they are caught 

 by one of the hinder legs, they quickly disen- 

 gage themselves from it, and leave the leg 

 behind them. This, however, does not grow 

 again, as with crabs or spiders ; for as they 

 are animals but of a single year's continuance, 

 they have not sufficient time for repairing 

 those accidental misfortunes. The loss of 

 their leg also prevents them from flying; for 

 being unable to lift themselves in the air, 

 they have not room upon the ground for the 

 proper expansion of their wings. If they be 

 handled roughly, they will bite very fiercely; 

 and when they fly, they make a noise with 

 their wings. They generally keep in the 

 plain, where the grass is luxuriant, and the 

 ground rich and fertile : there they deposite 

 their eggs, particularly in those cracks which 

 are formed by the heat of the sun. 



Such arc the habits and nature of those 

 little vocal insects, that swarm in our mea- 

 dows, and enliven the landscape. The lar- 

 ger kinds only differ from them in size, in 

 rapidity of flight, and the powers of injuring 

 mankind, by swarming upon the productions 

 of the earth. The quantity of grass which a 

 few grasshoppers that sport in the fields can 

 destroy is trifling ; but when a swarm of lo- 

 custs, two or three miles long, and several 

 yards deep, settle upon a field, the conse- 

 quences are frightful. The annals of every 

 country are marked with the devastation 

 which such a multitude of insects produces; 

 and though they seldom visit Europe in such 

 dangerous swarms as formerly, yet, iti some 

 of the southern kingdoms, they are still for- 

 midable. Those which have at uncertain in- 

 tervals visited Europe, in our memory, are 

 supposed to have come from Africa, and the 

 animal is called the Great Brown Locust. 

 It was seen in several parts of England in the 

 year 1748, and many dreadful consequences 

 were apprehended from its appearance. 

 This insect is about three inches long; and 

 has two horns or feelers, an inch in length. 

 The head and horns are of a brownish colour; 

 it is blue about the mouth, as also on the in- 



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